chiller

[marinelife]

I have a 1/3hp Aqualogic inline chiller rated at 160-300 gallons, right now I have it on a 180 gallons with about 160 gallons of sump. I was given a 1/5HP Aqualogic drop in chiller rated at 75-125 gallons, would this help my system to keep it cool and be a sorta backup, could I run it from my Medusa Dual Stage (2-Digit) Digital Controller - both heater and chiller up to 1/2hp and 1200W. I would split the power for the chiller just like I did for my heaters but would that be pushing the controller

 

[taikonaut]

Even if your controller can handle the load, it is not a good idea to put two chillers on the unit. The issue is different for heater, since chiller's compressor will damaged prematurely due to frequent on/off.

There are many way to make sure the tank is not overheated, and it is different from using the second chiller as a backup. To use it as backup, you can get another controller that will turn on the backup chiller when temperature is above the usual. Say the first chiller (main) is set at 78F, you may want to set the backup at 82F knowing that under normal circustance, the tank temp does not go above 81 when the main chiller is functioning.

 

[marinelife]

Thanks for the reply, would the only problem be the starting and stopping.

 

[Johnsteph10]

. . .or you could pass the chiller on to those of us who need one!!!
(pats himself on the back for such a great idea!)

 

[marinelife]

I may here in the summer if the 1/3 hp can not handle the extra heat this summer. I will have to get a larger chiller to handle the tank.

 

[taikonaut]

Yes, frequent off/on is one of the main issue. Another problem that kill compressor is mismatched chiller for the task.

 

[Jeff_S]

I use my Medusa to operate an external relay which controls power to my chillers. This way the controller is only providing the small amount of current required to close the relay contacts. You can size the relays as necessary for you chiller loads.

Jeff